Charitable Causes and CfE

Many years ago, I ran an organization called Seed of Compassion whose primary focus was to help those less fortunate than ourselves and plant the "seed of compassion" in people and watch it grow into a "pay-it-forward" effect. I would collect coupons and watch for sales, then purchase toiletry items for those people who needed them in the City of Edmonton. Donations went to both Winhouse and the Mustard Seed Church as needed. As time went on and Creations from Eden grew, I unfortunately, found less and less time to contribute my time to this effort.

I have once again decided to revive the philosophy behind the Seed of Compassion and as of June 2012, we will be contributing 2% of our monthly sales (including class tuition) to a local charitable cause. I will use this page to inform people of what is happening and who the money will be donated to for the current month (see below). We will also be using the items made by the instructors in the classes for charitable causes, by either donating them to a local charity such as the Bissell Centre, WIN House (women's shelter), Hope Mission or The Mustard Seed, or selling the products and donating 100% of the sales to a local charity.

I also invite everyone to contribute their unsightly "mistakes", end cuts, "not-quite-right, but still-safe-and- usable" products to the programs mentioned above rather than discarding them. People need soap and toiletries for a sense of well being (and to be clean). To many of those in need, any product that cleans or moisturizes is considered a luxury item, whether the colour matches the fragrance or not. Women in shelters, such as WIN House, could use something to give them that feeling of luxury whether it be not-quite-round-enough bath bombs or an off-colour bar of soap. To be clean and pampered increases self-confidence, which in turn helps people to get back into the game of life. I will be starting a box for these items in the warehouse and will ensure the items get to whichever centre needs them at the time if anyone wishes to drop items off.

So, as of June, I will be back to spreading the seed I once started and I hope you will join me in my efforts. The feeling a person gets by helping those that truly need it is unbelievable. Every action, no matter how big or small, can make a difference in the lives of those that truly need it.

~ Randi Carr

"Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever."

– Margaret Cho

June 2012:

The charitable organization that will receive the 2% will be the Brittany Lane Housing Co-op located in Sherwood Park, Alberta.

About: Brittany Lane Housing Co-op is fundraising for a new playground we are getting this summer. Product/gift cards/money would all help us in our goal. Our co-op provides housing for low income families, persons with disabilities, and people from all walks of life. It provides a safe community for people in difficult situations like women leaving abusive relationships. We are not for profit and also provide subsidy to people who would otherwise not be able to afford decent housing. We did get 1 grant towards our playground that covers the equipment and some minor incidentals however the landscaping we need to do and food for volunteers etc still leaves us almost $30,000 short.

As my Stepdad says: We all deserve a roof over our head, heat in our homes, water in our tubs and food in our bellies (not in those exact words). Brittany Lane Housing Co-op, by my standards, provides these core needs and gives people a second chance at life. We will be supporting their efforts to make the children's lives extra special through play throughout the month of June. Children need to feel special, as they are our future. ~ Randi

July 2012:

The charitable organization that will be receiving the 2% is WIN House, located in Edmonton, Alberta.

About: Edmonton Women’s Shelter Ltd. (EWS), most commonly known as WIN House, is a non-profit agency operating three shelters, WIN House I, WIN II and WIN House III. The WIN Houses are for women with children or without children who are fleeing domestic violence.

August 2012:

We have donated the August amount to the Hope Mission and purchased 50 Thanksgiving meals to fill the bellies of those in Edmonton that would otherwise not get to have a nice meal.

September & October 2012:

We have donated both months to The Christmas Bureau of Edmonton and Santa's Anonymous to ensure a few families have a wonderful and less stressful holiday season.

November 2012:

We have yet to decide who will be receiving the 2%. If you have any ideas please contact us.

If you know of an organization that could use our help, please Contact Us with information about the program. *Please note* the organization must be able to provide a receipt (does not have to be a tax receipt), as our accountant does not like us sending out money without some sort of paper trail, being that we are an incorporated company. Preference goes to organizations that provide housing, food, clothing and basic necessities to people that really need it, however animal shelters are welcome to contact us as well.